Choosing a video card for a modern personal computer is a very serious and responsible task. The balance of the computing system and the ability to execute one or another program code will depend on how correctly it is solved. It is to this rather complicated issue that this material will be devoted.
What is a graphics card? Their species
Graphic adapters, or video cards, are the components of a personal computer that are responsible for processing the information it displays. Conventionally, they are distinguished into integrated or discrete. In the first case, the accelerator is integrated into the motherboard (currently outdated version) or is included in the central processor. Also, such adapters are sometimes called built-in. Separate memory for such solutions does not exist, and in the process of functioning they use part of the system RAM. They have low performance, and they are mainly suitable for solving the simplest tasks at the moment.
In turn, a discrete accelerator is a separate board that is installed in an expansion slot. In this case, the memory for processing video information is separate, and productivity will increase significantly. What to look for when choosing a video card in this design? First of all, the type of memory. It is recommended to choose those solutions that are equipped with GDDR5, GDDR5X or HBM2. It is also necessary to take into account the capacity of the RAM bus, the clock frequencies of the chip and memory. An important role is also played by energy consumption. The most productive accelerators are connected by an additional connector to the power supply and occupy 2 expansion slots. This is not a complete list of characteristics, which must be paid attention to when choosing a discrete graphics system.
Communications. Equipment
Now let's figure out what to look for when choosing a video card from the perspective of connection methods.
The main connector into which all modern discrete graphics cards are installed in any modern motherboard is PCI-E 16X version 3.0. But for displaying graphical information, accelerators are equipped with the following output ports:
- DisplayPort provides a digital signal and supports resolutions up to 4K.
- HDMI has similar specifications and provides identical image quality.
- The DVI connector is currently out of date. In this case, the signal is also digitally output.
- Only VGA works in analog format, but it is outdated at the moment and it can only be found in outdated monitor models.
The complete set of any discrete adapter today includes the following:
- Accelerator.
- Disk with software, drivers and diagnostic utilities. You can also find documentation on it.
- User's manual.
- A set of interface cords for connecting.
- Warranty card.
In some cases, this list is supplemented by disks with modern toys and a set of advertising booklets.
List of Intel
This manufacturer so far produces only integrated solutions, and the choice of a video card for games in this case is simply impossible because they have poor performance.
The younger accelerator in this case is uHD Graphics 605. It can be found as part of the entry-level chips Celeron or Pentium. The number of stream processors is 18. Their frequency, depending on the load, can vary from 300 to 750 MHz. To store information, system RAM of the DDR4 standard is used. The capacity of the memory bus can be 64 (chips of the Celeron series) or 128 (device of the Pentium line) bits. In any case, this adapter is perfect for creating entry-level video subsystems that specialize in processing text information, browsing websites or playing multimedia content.
Higher in the hierarchy of this manufacturer is the accelerator HD Graphics 610. Its key difference from the younger model is an increased number of stream processors from 18 to 24 and a changed frequency range, which in this case is 300-1150 MHz.
The most productive video card in this case is marked uHD Graphics 630. The list of differences from the previous solution includes only the clock frequency, which now can vary from 300 to 1200 MHz.
AMD Graphics List
The choice of a gaming video card in the model range of AMD is a rather difficult task. The company produces both integrated and discrete accelerators. The first are part of the chips labeled AXX-XXXX. They occupy the budget segment of the accelerator market. It is most optimal to use them in the implementation of entry-level computers. It is also possible to assemble an economy-class gaming PC on their basis, but it will still need to be upgraded in the future. The most productive accelerator in this case is marked R7. There are also less productive solutions in the R5 line. This model range is complemented by devices R2 and R3, which specialize exclusively in the performance of office tasks.
The entry-level devices in AMD's lineup are the RX 550 and RX 560. These are discrete solutions with a separate video buffer, advanced features and increased speed.
RX 570 and RX 580 series devices are a notch higher. Even more advanced features and increased performance. But their price is increasing.
AMD's nominally premium graphic accelerators include the RX Vega 56 and RX Vega 64. But in fact, only the second of them can be attributed to this niche. These accelerators use special HBM2 memory with increased bit depth of the connection bus and high speed.
NVidia Product Line Overview
An even more difficult optimal choice of a video card in the NVidia lineup. This manufacturer only produces discrete graphics systems:
- Entry-level devices in this case are 1050 and 1050 Ti. Minimum productivity, which is enough to launch most of the modern gaming projects, and a very democratic cost. Again, the amount of RAM in the younger model is 2 GB, and in the older - 4 GB.
- The middle class is filled with 1060, 1070 and 1070 Ti. In the first of them, the amount of RAM can be 3 or 6 GB. The other two modifications are equipped with a video buffer of 8 GB. Separately, it is also worth noting the presence of a faster GDDR5X memory in the 1070 Ti. All other devices, including younger models, were equipped with GDDR5. In the first case, the microcircuits operated at a frequency of 10,000 MHz. For the rest, this value did not exceed 7000 MHz. Accordingly, the speed of the video subsystem due to the use of faster memory has improved significantly.
- The segment of the most productive video cards from this manufacturer is occupied by 1080 and 1080 Ti. Such adapters have a high level of performance. But their cost is appropriate.
General recommendations
Integrated adapters and entry-level graphics cards are great for displaying information in HD and FullHD formats. Under certain circumstances, even in 4K they are able to function. But this is extremely rare. Mid-range accelerators are aimed at working in FullHD or 4K modes. Well, premium solutions only in the last of them can function.
Integrated solutions
The choice of a video card in this case is as simple as possible. We choose any entry-level processor with 2 cores and a built-in video subsystem, and it will be enough to run office suites, surf the web, listen to audio recordings, or watch videos. Moreover, there is no fundamental difference between Intel and AMD devices. Of course, there is a slight advantage from the side of the last company in terms of speed, but it is not so significant. Again, the most productive built-in accelerators allow you to run a fairly large number of games. The only caveat is the low quality of the picture and the resolution of not more than 1366 x 768.
As an example, you can choose A12-9800 from AMD. This chip is equipped with R7 level graphics. He also has 8 cores. In the end, it is just great for launching most toys. Also, other quite resource-intensive tasks such hardware can solve. The cost of such a chip at the moment is 8000-8500 rubles.
First level
In this case, the choice of an AMD graphics card is more justified. And the choice of solutions of the RX 550 series with 2 or 4 GB of RAM is most justified. This accelerator has 512 processors, which should nominally operate at a frequency of 1183 MHz. But there are also accelerated modifications, which operate at frequencies of 1250 MHz. Again, the energy package of this processor is 50 watts. On the one hand, to implement its power supply, just a PCI slot - E 16X, which is capable of delivering even 75 watts, is enough. But to manage only with passive cooling in this case will not work. Also, the advantages of this device include the fact that it occupies only one expansion slot.
A possible alternative to the RX 550 from NVidia is the GTX 1050. But the cost of such an accelerator is much higher, as well as performance. If the RX 550 can be purchased for 8,000 rubles, then the GTX 1050 is already for 10,000 rubles. At the same time, the results in the tests show approximately the same difference in speed. Therefore, the question of choice remains open.
Also to this niche include the RX 560 and GTX 1050 Ti. In the first of them, the number of executive modules is increased to 1250, and their frequency can dynamically change from 1175 to 1250 MHz. The volume of the video buffer is only 4 GB. You can buy such an accelerator for 11,000 rubles.
The second GTX 1050 Ti graphics card is equipped with fewer stream processors. There are 768 of them in this case. But the working frequency of each of them can reach 1500 MHz. Also, the memory in this case works at a higher frequency of 7000 MHz versus 6000 MHz for the RX 560. But in the end, almost parity between the two accelerators is obtained.
Therefore, this or that video card is selected based on the user's personal preferences in this case.
Middle Class Accelerators
On the one hand, the choice of a 1060 video card with 6 GB of video memory looks the most optimal in the middle class segment. At least she has an excellent combination of performance, technical specifications and cost. But it’s better to buy a more productive GTX 1070 Ti with 8 GB of RAM. With a high-quality power supply and an advanced cooling system, it can be overclocked. In essence, it can easily turn into a GTX 1080. And this is a premium level device.
The choice of AMD video card in this price segment is limited only by the RX Vega 56. But the minimal overclocking does not allow turning this accelerator into a premium level solution. Also in this niche there are RX 570 and RX 580. But in terms of performance, they are inferior to their direct competitors in the face of the GTX 1060 and GTX 1070, respectively. Therefore, it is most optimal to purchase NVidia devices.
Premium devices
The most justified choice is the NVidia 1080 Ti model video card when implementing the most productive graphics subsystems. The GTX 1080 and RX Vega 64 also belong to this niche. But no one can make a worthy competition to the NVidia flagship. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase it for the assembly of the fastest computing system.
Recommendations for “mining” cryptocurrencies
Choosing a video card for mining comes down to two important conditions. One of them is an acceptable level of performance. And the second is adequate cost. For example, the speed of the most productive accelerator, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, allows cryptocurrency mining, but a farm built on the basis of such solutions is so expensive that the payback period is beyond the acceptable range. On the other hand, the GT 1030 has a low cost, but its performance is corresponding. Therefore, the payback period and generally making a profit on such hardware is a rather big question. Therefore, for mining, accelerator models between 1060 and 1070 Ti from NVidia and RX 560 and RX 580 from AMD are most optimally suited.
Also, the choice of a video card for mining should take into account software optimization for a particular cryptocurrency. For example, if NVidia solutions are excellent for DOGECOIN mining, it is better to use its products in this case. For mining, MONERO is preferable to use AMD solutions.
Graphics accelerators for laptops
The choice of a video card on a laptop needs to be carried out, starting from the list of tasks implemented on it. For example, if you plan to type, edit tables, or play various multimedia content, then in this case you can use integrated graphics. But when buying a gaming mobile PC or graphic station without a productive discrete graphics card you can not do. And it is recommended to purchase solutions not lower than GTX 1060 from NVidia or RX 580 from AMD. The volume of the video buffer should not be less than 6 GB in the first case and 8 GB in the second.
Conclusion
Now let's summarize the choice of video card for each specific niche.
In the integrated solutions segment, there is not much difference between the devices. You need to choose, starting from the budget. Accelerator performance is comparable, and the cost of the CPU comes to the fore. And it is the latter factor that is determining in this case. If the PC will solve office tasks, then we select the Celeron chip from Intel. In the case of gaming computer specialization, AMD solutions will be better.
In the niche of entry-level graphics devices, the RX 560 stands out from its competitors in terms of price, performance and power consumption. Therefore, it is precisely it that is recommended to be used when assembling such computers. This is the most optimal choice of a budget video card at the moment.
If the budget allows, then in the case of the implementation of a middle-class computer, it is best to choose the GTX 1070 Ti. It is also recommended to supplement such a PC with a powerful power supply. This will make it possible to overclock such an accelerator and essentially turn it into a GTX 1080. That is, you can get a premium level accelerator at the price of an average price range.
In the premium niche, the choice is obvious. In addition to the GTX 1080 Ti, it is not advisable to choose something else. Of course, it will be necessary to overpay, but productivity from this will significantly increase.
When assembling a farm for the extraction of cryptocurrencies, you need to build on, first of all, what will be mined. And then budget and performance are already taken into account.
If the laptop is an elementary class, then for its normal operation an integrated accelerator is enough. But in the case of a gaming mobile system, it is still better to choose the GTX 1060 accelerator or a faster adapter of the same manufacturer.